Last week I conducted a little experiment in Tucson, AZ – what would it be like to open a credit union account vs. one at the local Big Bank? The experiences turned out to be quite different. Although dependent on a sample of one, the experiment shed some interesting light on credit union branding.
Friendly Pace vs. Cold Efficiency
The credit union experience was warm, inviting, and personable (the representative gave me local restaurant recommendations), and yet seemed somewhat unprofessional (the process took 1.5 hours, and was more charming than efficient). The Big Bank experience was what I imagined it to be – colder, to the point, and business-like, in both the good and bad sense. While they took half the time (45 minutes) to open the account, they also didn’t take the time to welcome me to the neighborhood.
The warmth of the credit union experience reminded me of our Filene study of low- to moderate-income families – where we found that kindness and emotional stability were the most important characteristics of a trustworthy financial institution. Now that middle America is sliding into the same anxieties and situations experienced by lower income families, the comforting presence of credit unions may be appealing – an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.
On the other hand, the Big Bank style may appeal to a younger generation looking for instant gratification and ultimate multitasking (especially to the Hyper Lifers, a group of Gen Yers identified by a Doritos study). These youth are less interested in a 1.5 hour face-to-face chat about accounts – they would rather get the information online, update their social networks, watch Hulu, and play games at the same time. But there is still a place for credit unions in this space – Hyper Lifers are highly individualistic and pride themselves on their uniqueness and ability to counter mainstream culture. Therefore credit unions have an opportunity to appeal to them as an empowering alternative to larger, generic banks.
A Brand Story in Pieces
For the most part, I got the credit union brand story in pieces through my interaction – that credit unions are nonprofits, the board of directors are volunteers, and their rates are lower than banks. But my representative failed to tie these pieces together – linking the volunteer piece to the lower rates, for example. In order to fully integrate facts into a member’s memory, there must be a cohesive story.
From a scientific perspective, our memory is made up of a series of “stories” that we tell ourselves. For example, in order to memorize the most numbers of pi, contestants create poems, jokes, and even dramas to bring the numbers to life. In the same way, having a consistent story that ties together the advantages of credit unions helps encode the memory in the longer term, rather than simply presenting the facts.
Ask yourself if your credit union is telling a cohesive brand story:
- Can your new account representative give you a five-minute elevator pitch on the benefits of credit union membership (not the features)?
- If you asked your members why they chose you, would they tell you a similar story?
- Do you know the characters, plot line, and relevance of your brand story?
Maya Bourdeau is Filene’s new Innovator in Residence and an expert in psychological marketing. Interested in collaborating with Filene and Maya? Email us or call (608) 231-8550 for more information.
Comments
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I think what you heard was the story of the credit union industry, not any particular credit union’s “brand story.” Not-for-profit, volunteer boards and better rates are endemic to the industry, whereas a brand story should be unique to a specific organization.
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Hi Jeffry,
That’s an excellent point. The credit union I visited didn’t have a “brand story” – or at least, they didn’t convey it to me. They fell back more on general distinctions between credit unions and banks, which in and of itself could’ve been told as a better story.
Based on your comment, perhaps I should have titled that section “Lack of a Brand Story, the Credit Union Story in Pieces”. Thanks for the great feedback!
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Credit unions here all the way! Great post .
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